Lonza Group

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lonza Group AG
Company typeAktiengesellschaft
SIXLONN
SGX: O6Z
SMI component
ISINCH0013841017 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryPharmaceuticals
biotechnology
Founded1897
HeadquartersBasel, Switzerland
Key people
Albert M. Baehny (Ad-interim CEO)
ProductsBiopharmaceuticals
RevenueCHF 4.508 billion (2021)[1]
CHF 1.665 billion (2021)[1]
Total assetsCHF 16.459 billion (end 2021)[1]
Total equityCHF 9.823 billion (end 2021)[1]
Number of employees
17,500 (2023)
Websitewww.lonza.com

Lonza Group is a

bioscience
sector.

History

Lonza was founded in 1897 in the small Swiss town of Gampel, situated in the canton of Valais, taking its name from the nearby river. In the course of the 20th century Lonza evolved from hydroelectricity and C2 chemistry, through nitrogen chemistry to petrochemistry before moving into fine chemistry and biochemistry.[2]

Initially, the company produced electricity. The following year,

niacin (an important vitamin) via 5-ethyl-2-methyl-pyridine. In the 1940s, Lonza used its C2 basis to enter the vinyl chloride business. The production was relocated to Sins
and finally discontinued.

At the 1959 AGM, it was decided to back integrate into petrochemistry, and Montecatini was contracted to build the world's smallest cracker in Visp. The initial failure of this plant to meet its specifications triggered a CHF12mio penalty, which Lonza used to build a research center.

  • 1962: Lonza acquired the Ftalital works in Scanzorosciate, Italy which manufactured intermediates for polyester resins, and started work on the new headquarters building in Basel.
  • 1969 Lonza expands into the United States and founds Lonza Inc. in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. This and the acquisition of a Mapleton, Illinois plant producing sorbitol, tertiary amines and quaternary ammonium compounds creates the Chemical Specialties Business Unit.
  • 1974, the group merged with aluminium firm Alusuisse, after which the group moved into the biotechnology sector.
  • 1977: Lonza's first US fine chemicals plant starts operation in
    Bayport, Texas
  • 1980: Lonza's Polymers and Additives Business Unit starts with HQ in Milan, and the acquisition of a plasticizers and unsaturated polyester resins plant in San Giovanni Valdarno site.
  • 1984: Startup of the first multipurpose plants at the fine chemicals complex in Visp, Switzerland, marking the inception of Lonza's contract manufacturing business.
  • 1985: Acquisition of Molding Compounds SpA (
    Bulk Moulding Compound
    .
  • 1990: Acquisition Reglar Srl (Scanzorosciate, Italy) another SMC and BMC producer and Resinmec SpA, Pontirolo Nuovo and Pandino, Italy, a thermoplastic resin compounder.
  • 1991: Purchase of Duroform GmbH in Miehlen, Germany, another SMC and BMC producer, later incorporated into Polynt.
  • 1992: Acquisition of Biotec sro, (
    Kourim
    , Czech Republic) a biotech producer of fine chemicals.
  • 1996: joint venture 80:20 with the Economic Development Board signed for a $125mio, 70kt/y isophthalic acid plant on Palau Sakra.[3]
  • 1996: acquired Celltech Biologics and began producing mammalian cell cultures and monoclonal antibodies.
  • 1999 Lonza de-merged from the Alusuisse-Lonza Group and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange.[4]
  • 2005 Lonza Poland Sp. Zoo launched with construction of a new site in Niepołomice (Poland) for the production of compounds and unsaturated polyester resins.[5]
  • 2006,1Aug: Lonza S.p.A. changed its name to Polynt S.p.A., listed on the STAR segment of the Italian Stock Exchange, on 30 October.[6] This marked the exit of Lonza from the resins business. In 2020, Polynt is held by private equity.
  • 2007: Lonza Singapore Pte Ltd. (the owner of the isophthalic acid plant) sold to Perstorp Group (already, and still in 2020, under control of private equity group PAI Partners) for USD 138 million[7]
  • 2011 October: acquired American firm Arch Chemicals for $1.4 billion, thus becoming the world's largest manufacturer of biocides.[8]
  • 2016 August 15: announced $300mio acquisition of US based InterHealth Nutraceuticals,[9] a leader in research, development, manufacture and marketing of value-added nutritional ingredients for use in dietary supplements.
  • 2016 December : announced acquisition of Capsugel for US$5.5 billion from private equity firm KKR.[10]
  • 2017 February, announced construction of a CHF 290 million biopharmaceuticals plant (with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi) in Visp.[11]
  • 2021 July, Lonza Specialty Ingredients divested to Bain and Cinven for CHF 4.2 billion.[12]
  • 2024 March, acquisition of Genentech's Vacaville, California site from Roche for $1.2 billion.[13]

Lonza is involved in the manufacturing of

Imbruvica for Pharmacyclics and Mydicar for Celladon. In 2015, Lonza contracted with Alexion to construct a new facility dedicated to Alexion manufacturing. In 2017, Lonza and Sanofi partnered to construct a new facility for production of biologics.[14]

In May 2020, Moderna struck a manufacturing deal with Lonza to produce its (mRNA-1273) COVID-19 vaccine active ingredient while expanding sterile production and fill-finish activities to 500 million doses starting in 2021.[15] Production of the mRNA bulk vaccine started in January 2021, soon after an official visit by Swiss Federal Councilor Alain Berset. Lonza Group is responsible for the global production of two-thirds of the raw materials for the Moderna vaccine at combined U.S. and Swiss facilities. The company also started to collaborate with Altimmune Inc. for the development of a nasal COVID-19 vaccine.[16][17]

Corporate structure

As of 2020, Lonza's business areas include:

  • Small Molecules: active pharmaceutical ingredients, drug product formulation
  • Biologics: mammalian, microbial, licensing, bioconjugates, parenteral drug product services, mRNA
  • Cell & Gene: cell and gene technologies, personalized medicine, bioscience
  • Capsules & Health Ingredients: capsules, health ingredients

In November 2019,

CEO, as from October 2023.[20]

Business operations

As of 2018[update], Lonza had twenty-four self-described major sites located in the United States, India, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, China, France, South Africa, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom.[21] This site accounting shows significant changes from a 2016 self-description, which listed sixteen major sites.[22] The presence in India was established in Genome Valley, where ground was broken in 2011.[23][24][25]

In 2018, Lonza opened a 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) facility in the United States in Pearland, Texas (a suburb of Houston).[26] This is one of four sites which are focused on cell and gene therapy, the other three being in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Geleen, Netherlands; and Singapore.[26]

As of 2023, the company has employed over 17,500 people, across about 35 countries.[27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Annual Results 2021" (PDF).
  2. S2CID 100485418
    .
  3. ^ "Lonza expands into Singapore". icis.com. Independent Commodity Intelligence Services. 12 Jan 1996. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Lonza Group Ltd". Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  5. ^ "2005: Niepolomice site". Polynt Group. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  6. ^ "2006: Polynt S.p.A." Polynt Group. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Lonza sells Singapore PIA plant to Perstorp". Dr. Gupta Verlag. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  8. ^ Simonian, Haig (11 July 2011). "Lonza in $1.4bn acquisition of Arch Chemicals". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Lonza Extends Its Reach in the Healthcare Continuum with Acquisition of InterHealth Nutraceuticals" (Press release). Lonza. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 2018-04-15.[self-published source]
  10. ^ "Lonza Buys Capsugel for $5.5B Cash". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  11. ^ Lonza und Sanofi bauen gemeinsame Fabrik im Wallis. Telebasel, February 27, 2017
  12. ^ "AR2021". Lonza.com.
  13. ^ "Lonza to acquire biologics site in Vacaville, US from Roche for $1.2bn - Pharmafile". pharmafile.com. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  14. ^ "Company History". Company Profile. Retrieved 2018-04-15.[self-published source]
  15. ^ Taylor, N. (Aug. 2020). Moderna scaling up ex-US COVID-19 vaccine capacity as EU deal nears. BioPharma-Reporter.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Lonza plant in Switzerland starts making ingredients for Moderna COVID shot". Reuters. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Lonza collabore avec Altimmune pour développer son vaccin nasal"(in french). Tribune de Genève. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Lonza leader Marc Funk quits after just 9 months as CEO". FiercePharma.
  19. ^ "Lonza Welcomes New Group Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Alain Ruffieux". Lonza.com.
  20. ^ "Ad Hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR". 18 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Fact Sheet". Company Profile. Lonza. Retrieved 2018-04-15.[self-published source]
  22. ^ "Facts". Company Profile. Lonza. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2018-04-15.[self-published source]
  23. ^ "Lonza to invest Rs 250 cr in Genome Valley". Business Standard. India. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  24. ^ "Lonza Group to set up a bio pharma unit at Genome Valley". ibis. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  25. ^ "Lonza provisionally allotted 30 Acres of land in the "Genome Valley", Hyderabad (India)" (Press release). Lonza. 29 May 2009.[self-published source]
  26. ^ a b Philippidis, Alex (10 April 2018). "Lonza Opens Cell and Gene Therapy Facility in Pearland, TX". GEN News Highlights. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  27. ^ "About Us". Lonza. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  28. ^ "Lonza Number of Employees". Macroaxis. Retrieved February 6, 2023.

External links

Media related to Lonza Group at Wikimedia Commons